Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32017167›Full record

Trial reportAndrologia2020

Body mass index and age correlate with antioxidant supplementation effects on sperm quality: Post hoc analyses from a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Gian Maria Busetto, Francesco Del Giudice, Ashraf Virmani, Alessandro Sciarra, Martina Maggi, Matteo Ferro, Angelo Porreca, Benjamin I Chung, Ashok Agarwal, Ettore De Berardinis

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Andrologia, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Antioxidants for male subfertility.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Interplay between male gonadal function and overall male health.Journal of basic and clinical physiology and pharmacology · 2024
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Gian Maria BusettoDepartment of Urology, Sapienza Rome University, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7291-0316
Francesco Del GiudiceDepartment of Urology, Sapienza Rome University, Rome, Italy.
Ashraf VirmaniAlfasigma HealthScience, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Alessandro SciarraDepartment of Urology, Sapienza Rome University, Rome, Italy.
Martina MaggiDepartment of Urology, Sapienza Rome University, Rome, Italy.
Matteo FerroDivision of Urology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
Angelo PorrecaDepartment of Urology, Policlinico Abano Terme, Abano Terme, Italy.
Benjamin I ChungDepartment of Urology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Ashok AgarwalAmerican Center for Reproductive Medicine, Andrology Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0585-1026
Ettore De BerardinisDepartment of Urology, Sapienza Rome University, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1498-2810

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Spermatozoa are vulnerable to lack of energy and oxidative stress as a result of elevated levels of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, it is essential that appropriate nutrients are available during maturation. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated the effect of 6-month supplementation with carnitines and other micronutrients on sperm quality in 104 subjects with oligo- and/or astheno- and/or teratozoospermia with or without varicocele. Semen analyses were done at the beginning and end of the treatment. In addition to main analyses, post hoc analyses for age and body mass index (BMI) were carried out. Results were interpreted by dividing the population into two age and BMI classes. In 94 patients who completed the study, all sperm parameters increased in supplemented patients compared to the placebo group. A significant (p = .0272) difference in supplementation efficacy was observed for total motility on patients with varicocele and BMI < 25. In the same group, also the progressive motility was significantly superior (p = .0159). For Responder analysis, total motility results were confirmed in both the cited group (p = .0066) and in the varicocele group with BMI < 25 and age < 35 (p = .0078). This study suggests that supplementation is more effective in subjects with varicocele younger than 35 years with BMI < 25.

Indexed as

Body Mass IndexDietary SupplementsAdolescentAdultAge FactorsAntioxidantsDouble-Blind MethodHumansInfertility, MaleMaleMicronutrientsMiddle AgedOxidative StressPlacebosReactive Oxygen SpeciesSperm CountAntioxidantsMicronutrientsPlacebosReactive Oxygen Speciesageingbody mass index (BMI)compoundsmale infertilityvaricocele

Identifiers

PMID32017167
PMCPMC7065376

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.